The Name's Valentine...Jill Valentine.
by RagingTiger
Summary: Jill Valentine infiltrates Umbrella HQ undercover to observe a new Umbrella plan, but soon discovers someone knows who she is and who she works for...Please R&R! Chapter 5 now up (with zombie shooting)!
1. A New Umbrella

The New Umbrella: A Resident Evil Fan Fiction  
  
  
  
The room was dark, lit only by glowing banks of instruments. Scientists in white lab coats studied various gauges and computer screens while others kept their eyes on the specimen imprisoned behind a thick glass window. Grim-faced guards with holstered semiautomatic pistols stood at attention, scrutinizing each individual with a watchful gaze.  
  
Inside the glass-enclosed area lay a Bengal tiger. It lay unconscious, under the effects of sleeping gas pumped into the room via several chrome air ducts in the ceiling. Tubes hooked into its body carried several different colored fluids within the plastic tubing. EKG sensors and other data-gathering instruments were also strapped to it.  
  
One scientist looked up from entering data, as a beefy hand landed on his shoulder. Starting in surprise, he looked up and nodded his head at the man.  
  
"Dr. Maxwell. "  
  
"How goes the research?" asked Maxwell. At five foot nine, he was definitely an imposing personality. Unlike many of the pale sun-deficient geeks working in Umbrella's secret labs, Maxwell was a tanned muscular scientist. His looks led many to assume he was little more than the average idiot on the street, but Maxwell possessed an intelligence that few could dream of, let alone match.  
  
"Very well sir," responded the scientist, turning back to his keyboard. "Subject 10-A is responding well to the DNA transfer. No problems have been reported so far."  
  
Maxwell nodded as he stared at the tiger behind the glass. Those fools in the boardroom upstairs had no idea who they were dealing with. The men who ran Umbrella Corp. had thought his idea ludicrous: why should they spend money investigating a virus that had long ago proved ineffective? Not even Maxwell's brilliant history of DNA splicing had convinced them. But he had received permission from the board after telling them he planned to combine elements of the T-Virus with a new form of biochemical infection. And the fools had fallen for it!! They had no idea of what was happening down here, and they would never know. And when the day came, Maxwell would make them pay.  
  
"Sir?" asked the tech, his eyes tight with fear. "Are you okay?"  
  
Maxwell looked down, noticing that his fingers had curled into a tight fist. Relaxing them, he shook his hand and smiled at the technician.  
  
"Everything's fine. "  
  
Far away from Umbrella's headquarters, Jill Valentine was curling her own hands into fists. The tall beautiful brunette frowned as she looked hard at the S.T.A.R.S. operative who was briefing her. Hidden behind black sunglasses, the man only icily stared back at her, a neutral expression on his face.  
  
"This is suicide!" shouted Jill as she glared icily at the briefing officer.  
  
"This assignment is special priority, Agent Valentine," spoke the officer in a voice that resembled oil flowing over ice. "That's why it was given to you."  
  
"But…"  
  
"No negotiations, Agent Valentine. You have a duty to do."  
  
The door slammed behind Jill with a loud bam, as she stormed out into the hallway. Stalking past secretaries, administrators, guards, officers, and fellow agents, she headed for the elevator. Hitting the button for the parking garage, she felt the elevator start to descend. As it went down, the digital gauge stopped at floor four and the doors opened. A tall figure stepped into the elevator, hit the button for floor one and then stepped back as the doors closed.  
  
Jill watched the man out of the corner of her eye. He was a tall figure, wearing a black suit. His black hair was cut short and spiked and he carried a sheaf of papers under one arm. His features definitely had an Asian cast to them, but Jill couldn't quite pin down his nationality. As she was pondering it, the man smiled, and without looking at her said, "Half Chinese."  
  
Jill flushed. "How did you know?" she asked with surprise.  
  
"Oh I get that look a lot," smiled the man. Turning to face her, he extended his right hand and smiled. "Special Agent Eddie Wong."  
  
Jill took his hand, smiling at the firm grip. "Agent Jill Valentine."  
  
"You wouldn't happen to be the same Jill Valentine who was involved with the incident in Raccoon City two years ago, would you?"  
  
"That's me," said Jill, as she leaned back against the elevator wall. "I'm guessing that you're just another drooling idiot agency fan boy who wants to shake my hand, congratulate me, and then ask me out on a date."  
  
"Didn't intend to do that, but I wouldn't mind dating you," smiled Eddie. "I was just kidding," he added quickly, causing them both to laugh.  
  
The elevator stopped at floor one and the doors opened with a single chime. Eddie stepped out of the elevator onto the first floor and smiled at Jill.  
  
"Well, Miss. Valentine," he said with an elegant bow, "until we meet again. Oh yes, this is for you," he said, extending a manila dossier with the word "Classified" stamped on the top. As Jill too it from him, the doors rolled closed, and Eddie Wong disappeared from view. Jill smiled as she looked at the ceiling of the elevator. Her day had gotten a whole lot better. 


	2. The Memo

"All signs normal, Dr. Maxwell," spoke the scientist as he swiveled in his chair to look at Maxwell. The doctor nodded his head with a look of grim satisfaction on his face. "Very well. Prepare for Stage Four," spoke Maxwell with a sharp edge to his voice. If all their calculations were correct, today would be the day.  
  
"Preparing Stage Four sir!" said the scientist, throwing a lever to his right. Behind the glass enclosure, the tubes leading into the Bengal tiger began to spew forth greenish liquid. The liquid contained in these tubes was a synthesized element of the T-Virus combined with a DNA restructuring formula that Maxwell had come up with. The liquid attacked the genetics of the subject, particularly in the brain, turning the subject into a perfect killing machine. And unlike the previous T-Virus, the subjects did not suffer loss of motor skills or other brain defects.  
  
With a loud roar, the tiger sprang up on four legs, circling the room. Open sores glistened on the creature's body and patches of hair had become discolored and had fallen away. Maxwell's eyes were glued to the tiger. It had worked! However a note of disgust escaped his lips, in seeing that he had not been able to stop the characteristic "rotting" of the T-Virus.  
  
"Well, I'll be damned," muttered the head technician. "It worked!"  
  
"Indeed it did," spoke Maxwell. "Begin infection of all the other subjects."  
  
"But sir!" shouted one of the technicians, as he spun around to face Maxwell, a shocked look on his face. "We don't know anything about.."  
  
Maxwell only glared at the man. "If I say to begin infection of the other subjects, you will do as I say! Do you understand!! I am the law in these labs! Now DO IT!!"  
  
With a sigh, the technician turned back to his work and Maxwell grinned to himself. Soon, very soon…  
  
  
  
A zombie staggered towards Jill, its arms raised outwards in a violent mockery of emotion. Its feet shuffled, as gobbets of rotting flesh dropped from its body. The head, little more than a skull, smiled in an unholy grin as it tottered forward, arms held out in front of it. A whisper escaped from its rotting mouth. "Jill….I need you…."  
  
"NO!!" shouted Jill, as she shot up from her sleep. Looking around her, she recognized the familiar surroundings of her apartment. Shaking, she hit the light next to her and buried her face in her hands. No matter how many times she tried to forget the horrors of Raccoon City, they always managed to come back to her.  
  
She looked over at the clock, noting the time. 3:00 AM. Still shaking a little, she shoved the covers aside, and climbed out of bed. She rubbed her eyes and managed to somehow stagger to the bathroom. Reaching out, she twisted the knob for "cold" on the sink, thrust her hands into the stream, and lowered her face to the faucet, splashing water on her face. Shutting off the faucet with one hand, she reached out with the other, grabbing a towel that hung on the side of wall. Drying her face, she looked at herself in the mirror and grimaced.  
  
"God I look like shit," she muttered to herself, running two fingers through her hair. Turning to the shower, she flipped it on, setting the water for hot. As the bathroom filled with steam, she shrugged out of the bra and panties that served as sleepwear, and climbed into the shower.  
  
Clad in a soft white robe, Jill walked into the kitchen, still drying her hair. As she started up the coffee maker, something lying on the kitchen table caught her eye. It was that dossier from yesterday, the folder that Eddie had given her before he stepped out of the elevator. Smiling to herself, she ripped open the envelope, and pulled out a memo. Scanning it quickly, she began reading.  
  
**NOTE: CLASSIFIED INFORMATION**  
  
From: S.T.A.R.S. Head Office  
  
To: Agent Jill Valentine  
  
Agent Valentine:  
  
"Your mission is to infiltrate Umbrella Headquarters undercover. A cover disguise and all proper identification have been provided for you and should be packaged with this memo. As usual, this mission is of the utmost secrecy."  
  
"Like I said, it's suicide," muttered Jill under her breath. She continued to read.  
  
The memo continued: "Umbrella is believed to have hired Dr. David Maxwell, a renowned gene-splicing expert in order to pursue more bio-chemical research. We believe that Dr. Maxwell has been hired with the goal of producing a new strain of biological toxin. This represents a severe threat to national security."  
  
A black and white photograph fell from the memo and Jill studied it intently. Dr. Maxwell was a tall man with a well built physique. The S.T.A.R.S. photographer had caught him as he was stepping out of a limousine.  
  
"Likewise, it is imperative that you infiltrate Umbrella in order to discover Maxwell's association with Umbrella. As always, this information is classified and this mission of the utmost security. Good luck."  
  
Jill yawned and tossed the photograph back onto the table. Sipping her hot coffee, she smiled, her face framed by the steam rising from the cup. Staring down at the photograph of Dr. Maxwell, she grinned.  
  
"Well, Dr. Maxwell, we'll just have to find out who you are," she grinned, as she took another sip of the coffee. 


	3. First Day On The Job

A black BMW sped through the streets of the city, all but invisible in the early morning traffic that clogged the streets. The car contained two passengers: one, the driver was a tall redheaded man clad in a black suit. The other was a beautiful female brunette wearing a white silk blouse, a blue knee length skirt, and heels. With a fluid movement, the driver pulled up in front of a tall multistory skyscraper, braking the car just inches from the curb.  
  
Jill removed her sunglasses and looked up at the corporate logo that was displayed above the main entrance. The logo clearly proclaimed that this building was the property of the Umbrella Biochemical. Grimacing in disgust, she quickly put a neutral expression on her face, and stepped out onto the sidewalk, closing the car door as she did. Behind her, the driver hit the gas and roared back out into traffic.  
  
"Good morning," nodded the doorman as he opened the double glass doors for her. Jill smiled at the man and walked into the lobby, her black heels making loud clicking noises on the concrete. Taking a quick look around her, she noticed her surroundings. The Umbrella lobby was spacious with modern art, Umbrella banners and logos, and large gurgling fountain in the center. Several hallways led off to administrative offices, while a large bank of glass elevators stood to her right. In the middle of the floor lay a guard desk, and Jill quickly took note of the location of security cameras and the guards.  
  
"Jesus, would you get a load of that?" muttered one of the lobby guards, tapping another guard on his shoulder. The other guard swiveled around in his chair and pushed down his sunglasses to momentarily stare at the tall brunette who was gazing around the lobby. "Damn!" he muttered, before returning to his work.  
  
"Can I help you miss?" called out the guard sitting behind the desk. Jill smiled and walked over to him. "Yes, I was hired as an administrative assistant, but I'm afraid that I don't know where it is," she said with a disarming smile.  
  
The guard hesitated a bit, but soon regained his composure. "Administrative assistant, eh? I'll have to check your ID of course, ma'am, I hope that's not a problem."  
  
Jill smiled. "Not at all," she said, removing the fake credentials from her purse. They identified her as Diane Peterson, a former employee of Frisson Chemical Corp. and not as Jill Valentine, S.T.A.R.S. operative. With a large smile, the guard took the ID. Running it through the scanner he proceeded to scan the Umbrella database. Jill smiled, for she knew that she had a full company profile implanted within the system.  
  
"Well, your clearance is here and so is your profile," said the guard, as he reached into the desk and removed an ID tag with a clearance sticker on it. "You're cleared for levels 1-7 access and any unauthorized attempts to gain higher clearance will result in arrest and conviction." Jill smiled and took the ID from him. "Now I wouldn't want that to happen," she said with a wink. Turning on her heel, she headed for the elevators, pressing the button marked, "Administrative Floor."  
  
The elevator hummed as it whirred upwards and Jill leaned back against the wall as it flew higher and higher. The digital readout increased, showing each floor as it passed and Jill gazed out the window of the elevator, looking down at the lobby below. The elevator suddenly stopped with a loud chime and the doors rolled open, revealing a bustling floor crowded with people rushing to and fro.  
  
Jill approached the desk marked, "Human Resources." A middle-aged bored-looking woman sat there, tapping idly away at her keyboard. "Excuse me," said Jill as she approached the desk. The woman looked up at her. "Yes?"  
  
"I'm the new administrative assistant and…"  
  
"You must be Dr. Maxwell's new secretary. Third door on the right."  
  
Jill smiled and thanked the woman. Heading for the third door, she stopped in front of it as she heard the sounds of an argument from within. Pressing her ear to the door, she caught the last snatches of an argument.  
  
"…and furthermore, all funding for your work is hereby cut off!!"  
  
"Then to hell with your funding! There's plenty of other companies who will appreciate what I'm trying to do!"  
  
"You are way out of line, Maxwell!"  
  
"It's the truth and you know it! Now stop wasting my time and get out!"  
  
Jill jerked her head back from the door as it flew open and an angry dark-suited man stormed out, slamming the door behind him. Raising a hand, she knocked on the door, calling out, "Dr. Maxwell?"  
  
"What, dammit! I'm busy here!" came the curt reply from inside the office.  
  
"Dr. Maxwell, I'm Diane Peterson." There was silence from the inside of the room. "Your new secretary," she added as an afterthought.  
  
There was a minute of silence. "Come on," the voice called in a tired tone.  
  
She pushed the door open, revealing a small inner office. A water cooler stood in one corner, bubbling while a wooden desk stood in one corner. A Dell computer sat on top of the desk, sharing space with a black phone. A black office chair stood behind the desk. Jill could see that the office walls were painfully bare. She also noted that another wooden door led to Maxwell's office.  
  
"So you're my new assistant," said Maxwell in a tired voice. He stood up from the chair and offered his hand to Jill. "David Maxwell. Chief of Umbrella Research."  
  
Jill extended her hand to meet his. "Diane Peterson."  
  
"Well Diane. As an administrative assistant, all you need to do is to file all the paper that comes through here and keep track of it," Maxwell smiled, rubbing his eyes at the same time.  
  
Jill smiled. "No problem."  
  
  
  
Several hours later, Jill sat in the office chair, sorting through various papers. She filed all of them into alphabetical file folders, and the monotonous task was really getting to her. Sorting through the pile, she came up with a memo addressed to Dr. Maxwell from a scientist within the Umbrella Research Department. She quickly read it.  
  
***Umbrella Memo***  
  
From: Umbrella R&D  
  
To: Dr. Maxwell  
  
Sir, all subjects are responding well to the DNA restructuring formula. No problems have been reported so far. Symptoms include breakdown of body tissue, minor intelligence loss, and increased aggressiveness. Requesting additional security for lower labs. Your presence is required at Laboratory Control at 3:00 PM.  
  
Jill quickly scanned the memo and then filed it away. Glancing up at the clock, she noted that it was 2:45. Formulating a plan, she quickly began to put it in motion. Turning back to her work, she pretended to be filing. Behind her, the door opened, and Dr. Maxwell strode out quickly, his lab coat billowing behind him as he closed the door behind him.  
  
Jill waited five minutes and then quickly rose from the desk. Opening the door, she flipped off the light switch and walked out purposefully into the busy hallway. Discreetly following Maxwell, she tailed him to a silver elevator. She watched as he entered the button, and then he disappeared from view as the elevator doors rolled closed.  
  
She headed over to the elevators, hitting the down button with her hand. The elevator doors rolled open with a loud chime, and Jill stepped into the elevator. Scanning the elevator panel, she smiled, noticing that Umbrella referred to its floors by the name of the activities taking place on it. Hitting the button marked "Laboratory Control," Jill watched as the doors rolled closed and the elevator descended.  
  
The doors rolled open and Jill was greeted by the sight of a long white hallway. Several marked doors lined the walls and Jill looked around until she found the one she was looking for. A quiet whirring caused her to turn and she noticed a surveillance camera scanning the hallway. Quickly snatching her ID tag off her blouse, she shoved it in her pocket as she jumped up into the doorway of one of the rooms, avoiding the glance of the camera.  
  
Just then, two technicians approached to her right. As they chatted, she poked her head around the doorframe. Apparently the scientists on this level all wore the same starched white uniform. As the door rolled shut behind the scientists, Jill knew she had to obtain one of those uniforms. As she pondered how, her quandaries were solved by the appearance of another tech, this one a female.  
  
The technician prepared to insert her key card into the glowing slot nearest the door. Before she could stick it in, Jill made her move. Lunging forward, she shot forward, grabbing the woman around the neck in a chokehold. The woman's legs kicked out as she struggled for breath. Dragging the woman over towards an open door, Jill dragged the woman inside. Flipping on the light revealed it to be a janitor's closet.  
  
With a loud gasping, the woman continued to struggle. Jill applied more pressure with her right arm, and this time the woman passed out from lack of oxygen. Laying the woman down on the floor, Jill quickly unzipped the one-piece jumpsuit and pulled it off the woman. Putting it on over he own clothes, she snagged the woman's keycard and ID tag, placing them on her newly acquired uniform. Opening the door, she moved to the laboratory door and quickly inserted the keycard. The door rolled open, and Jill pulled out the keycard and entered the room.  
  
The room was large and sterile. Large white cleansuits stood on the wall and metal lockers stood in the middle of the floor. A large sign proclaimed that in order to enter the next area, the person entering must remove all clothing and put on one of the jumpsuits. Jill rolled her eyes at the sign.  
  
"What a day this is turning out to be." 


	4. The Discovery

Jill wasted no time. Quickly unzipping the uniform, she tossed it aside and began unbuttoning her blouse. Discarding the blouse, she unclasped her bra and slipped the straps from her shoulders. Tossing it on top of her other clothes, she quickly unzipped and stepped out of her skirt. Reaching down she quickly hooked her thumbs into her panties and peeled them down her legs. Placing the clothing in one of the lockers, she grabbed one of the cleansuits. Stepping into it, she quickly pulled it up over her naked body and zipped it shut. She was relieved to discover the cleansuit was a solid white material; it helped to cover her up immensely. Retrieving her stolen ID tag, she clipped it onto the cleansuit.  
  
After finishing, she inserted her ID card into the slot by the door. The door rolled open, and Jill stopped short, stunned by what she saw. Maxwell and group of other clean-suited scientists stood in the center of the room staring at a group of stasis tubes located behind thick glass. The tubes contained a grizzly, a Doberman, and three humans. Although the five were of different species, they all had one thing in common. They were all horribly mutated.  
  
"Magnificent," she heard Maxwell mutter. "Absolutely magnificent."  
  
"There were originally four humans," spoke up one of the chief researchers. "It attempted to break through the stasis tube and escape. We had to…abort it."  
  
"A pity," said Maxwell as he continued to stare at the stasis tubes. "When will the final batch be ready?"  
  
"Tomorrow."  
  
"And the new T-Virus?"  
  
"Tomorrow as well."  
  
"Good. Excellent work, all of you."  
  
A buzzer sounded over the intercom. "Dr. Maxwell. Your presence is required in the boardroom." Maxwell glanced up with an irritated look. "Very well! Tell them I'll be along in several minutes."  
  
With that, Maxwell exited the room, followed by several of his cronies. After the door had slammed shut behind them, Jill quickly moved over to the vacated equipment. Disguised in a cleansuit and wearing an ID tag, she got no more than a glance from the other scientists in the room.  
  
Jill tapped commands into the keyboard of the computer. "Yes!" she thought to herself as the black and white of the startup screen was replaced by a number of file folders. Obviously the last person using this terminal had forgotten to log off their account. Scanning through the titles of the folders, one caught her eye.  
  
"DNA/T-Virus research?" muttered Jill softly. Moving her mouse over to the folder, she double clicked on it. A document popped up on the screen and Jill began reading.  
  
***Classified: Umbrella Researchers Only***  
  
"1998's test run in Raccoon City clearly showed the flaws in the T-Virus. Chief among these are tissue deterioration, major loss of intelligence, and loss of motor skills. These all proved to be serious flaws in the long run, rendering many of the subjects inferior."  
  
"DNA splicing techniques developed by Dr. David Maxwell have revolutionized the powers of the aging T-Virus. Instead of attacking random areas of the body at various time intervals, the new version of the T-Virus has DNA restructuring protein added to it. This protein specifically targets cranial cells relating to intelligence and independent thought. The new protein "desensitizes" the subject, while removing thoughts of free will, turning the subject into a mindless killing machine. Loss of motor skills is not evidenced and intelligence loss is minor."  
  
"Unfortunately the tissue deterioration is not something that the DNA protein appears to be capable of controlling. Further research may find a solution to this problem."  
  
***End File***  
  
"They're developing a new strain of the T-Virus?" thought Jill to herself, as her bulging eyes ran across the screen, drinking up the words that were printed upon it. Clicking the "x" located in the corner of the screen, she closed the document. As she got up to leave, another file caught her eye.  
  
"Security Issues.." she murmured, double-clicking on it.  
  
***Classified: Umbrella Security Issues***  
  
"1998's testing also revealed the power of the highly responsive S.T.A.R.S. investigation team. This force has disrupted company operations several times and is composed of several individuals. Chief among these are: Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield, Barry Burton, Chris Redfield, and Jill Valentine."  
  
"Not a big surprise," muttered Jill as she kept on reading.  
  
"Albert Wesker was the first plant to be placed within the S.T.A.R.S. organization. His success in drawing in the Bravo and Alpha teams must not be discredited. Since his death during the operation, Umbrella Security has placed many more operatives in the S.T.A.R.S. ranks including…."  
  
As Jill continued to read, the loudspeaker blared to life. "We have a possible security breach in Laboratory Control. Repeat, possible security breach in Laboratory Control. Security units proceed to Laboratory Control."  
  
"Shit!" muttered Jill as she stood from the chair and briskly walked towards the door. Inserting her keycard, she stood back as the door to the cleanroom rolled open. Once inside, she quickly unzipped the cleansuit and hung it back up. Reaching into the locker, she grabbed her clothing and quickly slipped into her underwear. Buttoning up her blouse and pulling on her skirt, she quickly slipped into her heels and then walked out into the main hallway. Pinning her stolen ID to her blouse again, she began walking back towards the elevator, just as a squad of uniformed Umbrella security officers rushed by her.  
  
Once in the elevator, Jill slumped against the wall, wiping the perspiration from her brow in relief.  
  
"Shit, that was close," she muttered as she leaned back against the wall. As her inner voice began to laugh at her, she mentally told it to shut the fuck up. Feeling much more satisfied, she rested her weight on the cool metal of the wall and waited for the doors to open. 


	5. Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Corpses

Only the frenzied clacking of a computer keyboard interrupted the silence of the empty laboratory. In the empty silence of Laboratory Control, Maxwell worked furiously. Sitting alone in the darkened room, he quickly typed commands into the keyboard. Stopping to pause for a second, he stared at the figures in stasis tubes. A sadistic smile on his face, he lowered his head and continued typing away.  
  
"Tomorrow is the day," Maxwell thought as his fingers danced on the keys. "Tomorrow is the day."  
  
  
  
Over on the other side of the city, Jill stumbled into her darkened apartment. As she moved around in the dark, she felt her hip bump into the edge of the kitchen table. "Ow, dammit!" she exclaimed in pain, her hands feeling out for a light switch. As she groped in the dark, her hands encountered something warm. She started back in surprise and started as she felt a pair of hands grab her wrists.  
  
As she struggled, she felt a voice whisper into her ear. "I know you were the one in the labs," spoke the voice in a smooth calm tone. "I know you were running through the classified files. I know. I know who you are. Agent Jill Valentine."  
  
Jill started again in shock and started swinging about in the darkness. As her attacker tried to hold onto her, she rushed backwards, mashing him into the door. Her unseen attacker shouted in pain and Jill swung out, trying to punch him. Her fist brushed through a mass of spiked hair before it hit the door with a loud thud. Cursing, she managed to flip the light switch only to discover she was alone. Looking around, she searched her apartment frantically. Finding no one, she moved quickly to a nearby nightstand. Opening it, she pulled out a black steel Glock.40 9mm. Sliding a clip into the receiver, she released the safety with a loud click. Setting the gun down next to her on the couch, she fell asleep.  
  
  
  
"Good morning," said the doorman as Jill stepped into the lobby of Umrella Headquarters to begin her second day of the mission. Showing her regular ID to the guards; she had disposed of the stolen one, she continued to the elevators. The elevator stopped with a loud chime at her floor, and she climbed out, walking towards Dr. Maxwell's office.  
  
In the lower laboratories, Dr. Maxwell and his scientists stood in Laboratory Control watching as the scientists put the finishing touches on the new strain of T-Virus. Workers bustled about as Maxwell smiled evilly.  
  
"Doctor!" shouted an aide as he looked up from his work. "We're finished!"  
  
The lab erupted into cheers at his announcement. Maxwell held his hand up for silence. "Thank you for all your wonderful work! Umbrella would be proud of you…if they knew of this project's real purpose." The workers all looked at each other with surprised glances. Maxwell grinned and continued to speak.  
  
"As much as I would like to congratulate you, your work is not quite finished yet." As Maxwell spoke, vents in the ceiling began to issue green gas into the room. The scientists panicked and began rushing towards the exits. One scientist managed to yell over the din, "Why!?"  
  
Maxwell yelled back, "Because I need more than one hundred and fifty specimens to turn the world on its ear. You will all become fine examples of your own work. What better legacy than that?"  
  
As the scientists began coughing and choking, Maxwell rushed out of the lab as the automatic doors closed and locked behind them. He had set them on a thirty minute timer the previous night. The doors would stay shut and locked until the scientists had fully mutated and then the doors would open, releasing these scientists into the building to infect others. Maxwell smiled. Finally, his revenge.  
  
As Jill shuffled papers, she heard shouts and cries from outside the room. Getting up, she opened the door and stood in shock at the sight she was greeted with. People were running and screaming from a group of zombies who had apparently taken the elevator to get up here.  
  
One middle aged man attempted to flee, but was pulled backwards by what had been a female technician. As he shouted in terror, the zombie's teeth clamped into the man's throat. As they pulled out in a vicious spray of blood, Jill could see that the teeth held the man's voicebox. Letting the voicebox drop to the floor, the zombie continued to bit into the man's prone body.  
  
A zombie dressed in a guard's uniform reached out with his hand, grabbing a young woman by the shoulder. His fingers tore holes in the woman's shoulders as she sobbed with terror. She managed to strike the zombie a blow, knocking pieces of rotting flesh from its face. The zombie responded by ripping a gash in her stomach, bloody intestines spilling out. As she fell to the floor gasping, the zombie bit into the woman's chest, flaying her blouse, and exposing her ribcage.  
  
"Holy shit!" shouted Jill as she staggered backwards. Reflexively, her hand dropped to her right side and closed on empty air. Shit, she remembered. She didn't have a gun! Without any weapons, Jill took the obvious approach. She ran.  
  
"Hey! Stop where you are, asshole!" shouted the Umbrella guard as he raised his Sig 9mm handgun. The zombie continued to shamble forward, rotting flesh crumbling from its body as the guard raised his pistol. As the guard fired, the zombie dodged the round; reaching towards the guard, it ripped a gash in the guard's chest, ripping out his heart. The zombie crowed in triumph.  
  
"Eat lead, you rotting freak!" shouted Jill as she picked up the fallen guard's pistol. Raising it, she pulled the trigger, the sound of the gunshot echoing around her. Her aim was good, the zombie's focus on the dead guard's heart had helped her. The head exploded like an overripe melon, scattering bloody parts of skull and brain tissue around the room. Searching the guard's corpse, she removed all the extra ammo clips, shoving them into the pocket of her skirt.  
  
Another zombie advanced towards Jill, this one the remnants of a female technician. The ripped open uniform exposed a pale breast, while the zombie shambled forward, arms outstretched. Jill raised the gun, fired a quick shot. The zombie dodged the carefully aimed round, taking it in the shoulder, rather than the head. Jill's mouth dropped open. No infected zombie could move like that! But the words from the memo came back to her in a flash.  
  
"No loss of motor skills."  
  
Jill snarled in response and pulled the trigger of the pistol three more times in quick succession. This time, she scored hits, blood oozing from bullet holes in the zombie's chest area. With a guttural moan, the zombie collapsed to the floor, blood spreading out in a crimson puddle.  
  
Her chest heaving with exertion, Jill lowered the gun and fell backwards against the wall. Gunfire and screams echoed from down the hallway as the remaining Umbrella guards fought a hard pitched battle with the undead. Finally, the gunfire stopped.  
  
"Who won?" wondered Jill as she leaned around the corner. As she did so, she sighed in relief at seeing three uniformed Umbrella officers walking towards her. "Hey!" she called out, climbing to her feet.  
  
"Hey! A survivor!" shouted the lead guard. Running over, he helped Jill to her feet. Noting the gun in her hand, he asked, "I saw you gun down some of those rotting bastards. Where'd you learn to shoot like that?"  
  
"Oh, my uncle taught me awhile back," lied Jill as she grinned at the soldier. The soldier smiled back. "Well, we're headed down to the lobby so we can check for more survivors. Like to come?"  
  
Jill nodded her head. "It's better than staying here."  
  
The group of four, with the soldier in the lead, headed for the bank of elevators that lead down to the lobby. As the soldier hit the button, the lights flickered and went out in part of the hallway, leaving that area shrouded in darkness.  
  
Jill tensed up as she heard the soldier next to her mutter, "Shit.."  
  
"We're dead now," muttered another one. A deep rumbling growl tore out of the throat of the lead soldier as he barked, "Get your crap together! We're Umbrella soldiers, dammit, and the cream of the crop at that! The power grid's just been damaged in that area. Now we'll just take the elevator down to the lobby and everything will be…" With that, the lights flickered and went out on the administrative floor.  
  
"..fine," finished the soldier in a shaky voice. Jill heard him fumbling with something on his utility belt and with a loud clicking noise, a beam of incandescent light lit up the darkened hallway. The soldier smiled through the light of the flashlight.  
  
"Umbrella Corp. never fails," he grinned, hitting the elevator buttons. Nothing happened. He pressed it again, this time harder. Nothing. Again. Nothing.  
  
"Goddammit!!" he shouted, hammering his fist against the metal with a hollow thud. "The floor circuit's been damaged!"  
  
"Do you know where the control system is?" asked Jill as she looked over at the guard. The guard looked a little uncertain, but quickly answered, "Tenth floor, Building Services."  
  
"We'll just have to take the staircase down then," spoke Jill quickly. "Do you know where that is?"  
  
The soldier seemed to regain his composure. "Yeah, I'll take us there."  
  
The group of four moved towards the staircase, led by the flashlight equipped soldier. As they navigated the hallways, the lead soldier attempted to strike up conversation with Jill, while the other two soldiers snickered behind them.  
  
"So how long have you worked here?" asked the lead soldier, a curious look imprinted on his face. Jill looked over in his direction. "Today's my second day on the job," she answered with a smile. "But I wasn't prepared for this."  
  
"I've worked at Umbrella for five years and nothing like this has ever happened," spoke the guard. "So you're not alone."  
  
The flashlight beam played over various doors, however none of them were the door that the team was looking for. Jill also noticed that there were many corpses strewn around the hallways, but no zombies, something she found odd. Where had they all gone? As she pondered this, the leader's flashlight beam lit up on a red door marked, "Emergency Staircase."  
  
"Ah, finally, here it is," sighed the captain as he reached out and turned the handle of the door, revealing a brightly lit staircase. As he opened the door, a loud hissing from the staircase alerted him to something. Stepping backwards in surprise, he just barely missed getting skewered by what appeared to be a long forked tongue. Instead, the rear guard gurgled as the razor-sharp tongue went through his neck, spraying out in an obscene splash of blood.  
  
"OH SHIT!!" shouted the other guard as he backed away from the already dead guard. As he drew his pistol, the tongue lashed towards him sideways, biting into his neck. In a spray of blood, his head popped off, rolling along the hallway. As the man fell, the creature that had killed the two guards dropped from the staircase ceiling and Jill felt a wave of minor fear wash over her as she recognized it. It was a damned licker!  
  
The licker's forked red tongue extended from its brown mouth, as it curled its shining claws in and out. Advancing towards the two, it hissed loudly, extending its tongue towards them. The guard let the flashlight drop to the floor, leaving only its outline visible, silhouetted by the bright lights of the stairwell.  
  
By this time, Jill had managed to draw her pistol. Raising the SIG auto, she pulled the trigger, sending a bullet thudding into the thing's abdomen. It jerked backward momentarily stunned, and with an angry hiss, it stalked forward again. Jill raised the pistol and jerked the trigger again, only to hear a loud clicking. "Shit!" she exclaimed as she shoved her hand into her pocket, scrabbling for the extra magazines.  
  
The licker was nearly on top of her now. As it's tongue reared backwards for the strike, a barrage of rounds tore into it, causing the thing to jerk in time with the impact of the bullets into its body. Blood sprayed from the licker as the gunfire tore into it and finally it gave a sigh and collapsed to the carpeted floor, blood spilling from the corpse.  
  
Jill finally managed to shove a clip into her pistol. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the captain standing, his own SIG auto in his hand. Holstering it, he extended a hand. She took it, and he pulled her to her feet, smiling at her. "You'd better be careful there, Miss…"  
  
"Ji—Diane Peterson," she said, mentally hitting herself over the head for nearly giving out her real name.  
  
"I'm Brian Xavier," smiled the guard as he retrieved his flashlight.  
  
And with that, the two began making their way down to the power grid. 


End file.
